Hat-blocking machine.



7 No. 881,508. I PATENTBD MAR. 10, 1908 A. B. WARING. HAT BLOCKINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD BEPT.24, 1904.

ff22k4 L AW ARTHUR B. WARING, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

HAT-B LOCKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed September 24, 1904. Serial N 0. 225,768.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR B. WARING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Yonkers, county of VVestchester, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHat-Blocking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

One feature of the invention relates to the provision of a gage,preferably as a permanent fixture of the machine, by which the operatorwith a minimum of effort can ascertain the depth of crown for which themachine is adjusted.

Another feature of this invention relates to the provision of a guardand means for movv ing the guard in front of the open space between thebrim-clamps as the brim-clamps are about to close and prior to theclosure of the brim-clamps, in order, if the operators arm should bebetween the clamps, that he should be warned in time to withdraw itbefore it is caught and crushed by the more powerfully actuatedbrim-clamps.

These several features have been devised and are particularly adaptedfor use in conplication, Figure 1 isa side elevation of a hat-blockingmachine embodying the several features of my invention, viewed from theright of the machine, some of the actuating mechanism being broken away.Fig. 2 is a front view of the upper portion of the machine.

The several parts of the machine are supported in a mam frame 1 A steamchest 2 to which a templet 3 with a clamping face of convex curvaturefrom front to rear is attached, is fixed in the upper part of themachine. The steam chest and templet constitute the lower brim-clamp. Anupper brimclamp cooperates with the lower brim-clamp and consists of asteam-chest 4 and templet 5 with a clamping-face of concave curvaturefrom front to rear which mates with the clamping-face of the lowerbrim-clamp. Thumb-screws 6 are used to attach the templets to thesteam-chests so that the templets may be conveniently removed andchanged. The steam-chests are provided with central openings and thetemplets are provided with. similar openings to ermit the passagetherethrough of a hat-b ock 7 for blocking the hat crown concurrentlywith the blocking of the brim. The upper brimclamp is supported by twovertically sliding rods 8 which are guided in bearings at the sides ofthe frame, and the hat-block is supported by a central vertical rod 9which is also guided in hearings in the frame of the machine. These rodsare automatically actuated by suitable power-driven mechanism comprisinga belt-driven pulley 10 on a main shaft 11 and auxiliary shafts 12 and13 which are geared therewith. On the ends of the latter shaft aretappets 14 which engage levers 15, the levers being connected throughlinks 16 with the vertically sliding side rods, and actuate the upperbrim-clamp. The tappets engage the under sides of the levers to ift thebrim-clamp. Stirrups 17 with fiat bearing places are engaged by the tappets to insure sufficient clamping pressure when the upper brim-clam isin engagement with the lower brim-c amp and interposed hat-brim.

A hand-wheel 18 turns on the upper end of the central vertical rod whichsupports the hat-block. A nut 19 carried by the handwheel en ages ascrew20 which is attached to the hat-b ock. The hand-wheel serves to adjustthe height of the hat-block with respect to the vertical rod by which itis automatically operated through the brim-clamps. The actuation of therod and hat-block is by a tappet 21 which engages a lever 22 the forward end of which is connected to the rod through links 23 and thehat-block by reason of its attachment to the rod is positively insertedand withdrawn from the hat by the machine before the brim-clamps areparted so that the curve given by the brim-clamps will not be disturbed.The range of travel of the central rod is fixed by the proportions ofthe parts, but the distance through the brimclam s to which thehat-block is lifted, is adjusta le by means of the hand-wheel, and theheight above the meeting faces of the brimclam s to which the top of thehat-block is lifte will be the height of'the crown that will be blockedby the machine. In order that the operator may readily inform himself asto this adjustment, a gage consisting of a slide 24 attached through abracket 25 conveniently to the upper brim-clamp and a light slidablemember 26, preferably of wood, is so mounted that the lower end of theslidable member can be engaged and set by the top of the hat-block whenthe hat-block is at the upper end of its movement and. the upperbrim-clamp is engaging the lower brimclamp, these being at the sametime, by reason of a proper setting of the tappets. One of the membersof the gage, and preferably the slidable member, is provided with ascale of inches, and the slide is provided with a marker or line 27against which is read the distance to which the top of the hat-block islifted above the clamping faces of the brim clam s, and hence the heightof crown that will l fe blocked by the machine. The gage is so adjustedthat when the zero point of the scale is set at the marker the lower endwill be even with the clamping face of the brimclam to which the gage isattached. There is su ficient friction between the slide and theslidable member to hold the latter against displacement by its ownweight in any posi-' tion in which it may be placed. To ascertain thesetting of the hat-block, the operator lowers the slidable membersufliciently to be engaged by the block when at its highest point ofmovement, and when the hat-block rises on the next revolution of themachine the gage will be automatically set and left with the indicationat the height of crown for which the machine is adjusted.

A guard 28 in the form of a bail extends across the front of themachine, and the sides of the bail are pivoted about midway to thevertically sliding side rods which operate the upper brim-clamp. Theends of the bail are hinged to the u per ends of links 29, the lowerends of which are hinged to the frame of the machine. When the upperbrim-clamp descends, the front of the bail passes in front of the s acebetween the brim-clamps at about doub e the speed of the brim-clamp, andhence will warn the operator by striking his arm if it should be in theWay, in advance of the closing of the brim-clamps, so that he canwithdraw his arm before it 1s cau ht too firmly for removal. The bail isof liglit material and clears the front of the machine so that it willnot of itself catch the arm so tightly that it cannot be pulled out.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a hat-blocking machine, the combination of two brim-clamps withcurved sur faces one of which is convex and the other concave, means forclosing the same, a hatblock, means on which the hat-block is adjustablysupported for moving the hat-block through the brim-clamps, and a gagecomprising a slide supported by one of the brim clam s and a slidablemember su )orted by the side in the path of the hat-block, substantiallyas described.

2. In a hat-blocking machine, the combination of brim-clamps, means forclosing the same, a hat-block, means on which the hat block isadjustably supported for moving the hat-block through the brim clamps,and a gage comprising a slide supported by one of the brim-clamps and aslidable member supported by the slide in the path of the hatblock, oneof the members of the gage being provided with a scale and the othermember with a marker for the scale, substantially as described.

3. In a hat-blocking machine, the combination of brim-clamps, onemovable toward the other, a guard, and means for automatically movingthe movable brim-clamp away from and returning it to the other brimclampand passing the guard in front of the space between the brim-clamps inadvance of t 1e closure of the brim-clamps, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Yonkers, N. Y., this 20th day of Sept. 1904.

ARTHUR B. VVARING.

Witnesses:

J ULIUS TACKMAN, E. H. SHERWOOD.

